


Rearview

by Saxony55



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Bottom Harry, Bullying, First Crush, Flashbacks, Hand Jobs, M/M, Minor Violence, Pining, Popular Louis, Slow Build, Top Louis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-06-26 14:36:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15665181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saxony55/pseuds/Saxony55
Summary: Harry was bullied when he was younger, awkward and nerdy, and now that his life has made a turn for the better he's invited to his 10 year reunion.He wouldn't even go, except one thing pulling him back to his home town, well one person specifically. His crush, the one bright spot in all his time at school.Harry needs to put his past behind him, face his fears, all so he can see Louis Tomlinson just one more time.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> New fic for me, I've got one more in my head I'll start when I finish one of my other stories. Hope you like this one, any feedback is always welcome.

The smell of popcorn filled the air as Harry flipped through his mail tossing most of it into the junk pile. He could hear Zayn plundering around in the kitchen yelling at the microwave to hurry up. His voice coming from the other room now directed at him, “I’m not watching another chick flick, pick out something funny.” Harry hadn’t even looked at the movies yet and was about to set the mail aside when something caught his eye. An envelope from his school back in Holmes Chapel, his years there had been hell on earth for him. He opened the letter seeing it was an announcement for their 10-year reunion. 

He was still holding the letter a few minutes later when Zayn came in carrying the large bowl of popcorn and drinks, “Am I a complete moron for considering going to my 10-year reunion?” 

Zayn put down the food and looked over at his best friend since University, “You hated those people, why would you even think about going to that?”

“To show them who I am now.” Harry grabbed a handful of popcorn and crammed it into his large mouth.

From the other side of the couch, Zayn was quiet, took a sip of his coke, and then, “Why the fuck would you care what they think of you now?”

Harry got up moving around the room and finally started to look for a movie, “I don’t know, to show them they didn’t break me. They tortured me every single day and I know I should give a fuck about any of those assholes, but part of me wants to stand there looking hot and maybe now they all are fat and balding and I can, I don’t know, get some closure from all of that.”

Zayn ate on the popcorn, “And you’re hoping your old crush will be there, right?”

“Shut up”, he grabbed a dvd from the shelf, “How about Captain America?”

A laugh came from the couch, “Ok, 1, that’s not a comedy, 2, you only want to watch to stare at Chris Evans, and 3, you totally just ignored my question. You want to go to see if Louis Tomlinson still gets you all hot and bothered, admit it.”

Harry kept looking through the shelf for a movie, “You’re the one who thinks Evans is hot, you know I think Sebastian Stan is way hotter. And no, it’s not just to see Louis, although I would like to see him again. I always wondered what happened to him.”

They finally decided on Deadpool, since it was funny, a hero movie, and they both found Ryan Reynolds attractive. Harry put the disc in and Zayn finally commented, “I don’t understand your fascination with him, wasn’t he friends with all those twats that bullied you?”

“Yea, but he was never like that, I mean we weren’t friends, and he was Mr. Popular, but he was never around when the bad shit went down. I’m not even sure he knew about it.” He moved the popcorn bowl, so it was between them on the couch. “Zayn if you could have just seen him, he was beautiful, the brightest star. Everyone loved him, you couldn’t help it. I mean he’s the reason I knew I was gay.”

Zayn leaned back resting his head on his arm, “I’m not sure it’s a good idea, I think you’ll get hurt all over again. Sometimes it’s best to leave the past in the past.” The movie started, and they watched it for about the billionth time munching on their popcorn. Nothing else was said until it was over a couple hours later.

The reunion had been on Harry’s mind the whole time, unable to get it out of his head, and he knew he had to go. He had to do this for himself. “I’m going. I need to do this, but I need a favor?”

“What?” Zayn looked over knowing he was going to hate whatever idea was about to come out of Harry’s mouth.

Harry turned to his side so he was facing his best friend and smiled, “I need you to come with me as my date.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry pleads his case

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excited for this one, sorry it's been a few days, haven't been feeling well and I slammed my hand in my front door so typing wasn't exactly something I could do. Hand feeling better as am I so getting back to it. Yay!!

Zayn looked absolutely mortified as he turned to look at Harry, “You want me to do what now?”

The charm oozed from Harry as he sweetly batted his eyes, “Please, I can’t show up alone, and your fucking fit. You’ll be excellent eye candy on my arm.”

“You know I’m happily married right? You know that Liam is jealous as hell and will hate this idea with every cell in his body? I mean he might try to kill you for this one.” Zayn pulled out his phone as a text came over, “Speak of the devil, he’s wondering where I am as we speak.”

Harry started to pick up the bowls and glasses, “I know, but Liam loves me, he knows I’m not actually interested. I just need you for one tiny little weekend to pretend to be my boyfriend.”

The living room was all picked up, tv off, and Zayn needed to be heading home soon, “I’ll ask him, I’m not saying yes, but I’ll ask his opinion on the matter. But Harry, what if Louis is there and single and still hot and decides he wants you. You going to just dump me?” Zayn pouted at him.

“Ha, Louis would never want me, besides he’s straight,” Harry had a far off look in his eyes remembering something from a long time ago.

Zayn seemed to know what he was thinking about, “I thought you two had a thing one night?”

Harry still had a far away look in his eyes, “Yea, he was drunk, really drunk, I doubt he even remembers. It wasn’t anything big anyway.” He started to walk his friend out, “well anyway, thanks for hanging out tonight, and promise me you’ll really think about it. Please Zayn, this is important to me.”

He promised to sleep on it and talk to Liam and then Zayn was gone leaving Harry all alone in his flat. He knew he should go to bed, so he wouldn’t be tired in the morning at work, but he found himself digging around in his closet for his old school memorabilia. There wasn’t much since he didn’t keep much of it, but there were a few photos. Harry looked at his old self, chubby, glasses, baggy clothes, and stupid looking hair. It was such a far cry from what he looked like now. He had grown into himself at Uni, getting taller, leaner, grew his hair out long. Zayn helped him find his true self. He grew more confident in his fashion, worked out, got some tattoos. He had literally gone from geek to chic, but sometimes like tonight he still thought of himself as that shy gawky teenager who had no friends.

His life had changed so much since then, he had lots of friends now, worked in retail for Gucci, which wasn’t exactly glamorous, but his employee discount was a perk he took advantage of a little too often. He ran a fashion blog and was pretty proud of the number of followers he’d accumulated over the last year and a half. His love life was the one part of his life where he wasn’t happy. Harry dated quite a bit, but there hadn’t been that great love yet, he seemed to always find the wrong guys. They were all either emotionally unavailable, or just turned out to be complete dickheads. He knew it was just a childhood crush, but he’d never wanted someone the same way as he’d wanted Louis all those years ago. 

The room was dark when he climbed into bed, a sliver of moonlight casting shadows across his bed and against the far wall of the room. He closed his mind and tried not to think about the reunion and if Zayn would say yes to going with him or not. His mind drifted there anyway, wondering if he’d have the courage to go alone if Zayn turned him down. Then his thoughts drifted back to Louis, young, tanned Louis who was always smiling, his contagious laughter, and the way he’d flick his hair off his face. Harry licked his lips at the memories, letting his hand drift down under the covers, rubbing himself gently, teasing himself. He wondered what Louis would look like now, trying to imagine him older, his chest broader, little lines starting to form near his eyes. It was hard to see him any way other than the young boy running down the football field in those tiny black shorts kicking the ball toward the goal. Harry had gone to every game, sitting there in the bleachers alone watching Louis wishing for more than just stolen glances.

His thoughts had taken on a naughtier turn once he started thinking about Louis in the showers after football practice. He’d sneak in sometimes to catch a peak, the water running down his perfect little body. Harry gripped himself under the covers and began to stroke slowly, using the precum dribbling out to make the slide easier. After all these years, Louis was always his best wanking material, his grip getting tighter, his pace quickening as he got harder. It didn’t take long before he knew he was close and used his free hand to tweak his nipple a little. His knees raised up off the bed tenting the sheets over him, his head falling back as his back arched up and then he was spilling out onto his fist and stomach. He was breathing fast, a little light-headed as he grabbed some tissues from his nightstand to clean up his mess. Shortly after he was falling asleep still thinking about the boy from his past wondering where he was right now, not knowing he was also lying in his bed alone only a few blocks away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is going to swap POV's every chapter, so next chapter we will learn more about Louis.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louis' POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry haven't' posted in a bit, been super busy, and I'll be super busy next week as I'm going out of town to see Niall in concert, but I'll get back to writing as soon as I can.

The smell of coffee drifted down the hall and into his room just as his alarm started buzzing next to his head. Louis’ arm reached out from under the covers snoozing the machine into silence. He rolled back over burrowing his face into his pillow needing a few more minutes of sleep. His roommate Niall had other ideas as he came bounding into the room carrying a hot cup of coffee being followed by their orange tabby cat, Weasley. “Good morning, sunshine, you’ve got mail,” Niall’s voice already way too happy for this early in the morning.

Louis pulled the sheets over his head and huffed as he felt Weasley starting to make biscuits on his back, “Go away,” he grumbled into his pillow.

“Nope, you have work, so get your lazy ass up, oh and you have mail from back home, your old school in Holmes Chapel.” Niall threw the letter onto the curled-up mass under the covers and walked back into the living area of their shared flat.

Weasley moved around in circles a few times before finding an appropriate spot to lay down for a bath. His movements and the sound of his licking is what finally drove Louis out of the bed and he grabbed the letter opening it in suspense. It was for his 10-year reunion and he had absolutely no desire to go back to that place. He tossed the letter onto his nightstand before walking out to meet Niall for his coffee. He grabbed his mug and curled up onto the sofa across from his flat mate and they had their usual morning chat. “Morning,” he took a sip letting the warmth slip down his throat and curl in his belly waking him up.

“So,” Niall prodded, “what was in the letter?”

Louis finished his sip before answering, “10-year reunion, like I’m going to that.”

Niall seemed confused, “Why wouldn’t you go, weren’t you like big man on campus back then?”

“Exactly why I’m not going, I don’t want them to all see me now, they all worshipped me back then. Now I’m just a footie coach for sixth form students. Oh, and you know I’m gay, there is no way in hell I’d show up to see all those homophobic assholes. I saw the way they treated the one out gay kid in school we had.” Louis finished his coffee and sat the mug on the end table.

On the other end of the couch, Niall had finished his too, “It’s not like your even out to everyone about that, you don’t have to say anything, but I think you should go. Sometimes it’s nice to go back and reminisce. I’m sure there’s at least one friend you liked back then, and there’s nothing wrong with being a coach.”

Louis shrugged, “You don’t understand, those guys expected me to go pro and marry some super model or something. I was a big deal and now I’m just this normal guy with a normal job and single. I’d rather them just wonder what happened to me instead of giving them a reason to pity me.”

“You shouldn’t care so much about what a few assholes think of you, maybe you should go to see that one gay kid you said your school had. It might be nice for him to hear your story and know he isn’t alone. I’m not saying come out to everyone, but maybe just one person. I think it would be good for you, you’re always so closed off about it.” Niall told him as he went to refill their mugs.

Louis just sipped at his fresh black coffee thinking it over, “You know why I’m closed off about it, I don’t want people at the school knowing I’m gay. I’m not sure how the parents would feel about a gay coach for their kids, and besides there is no way Harry would show up for that. Why in the hell would that poor guy walk back into the lion’s den, they were so cruel to him back then?”

The snoozed alarm started going off again in Louis’ room where he’d forgotten to turn it back off and Weasley pranced through the doorway looking disgruntled about all the noise. He went to turn it off as Niall’s voice trailed after him giving him something to think about, “Then maybe you should go back there and stand up for yourself and him and tell those guys where to shove it. The Louis Tomlinson I know doesn’t run away from a fight. You’re stronger than you know.”

They both moved around the apartment getting ready, not another word said about the reunion and Louis didn’t want to go, but something about what Niall had said was eating at him. The rest of the day teaching physical education and then after school at football practice he couldn’t stop thinking about it. He’d had it so easy in school, he kept his silence about liking guys for his own protection, but never had to think about how different things would have been if he’d been truthful. He’d never really had to deal with much of the bad side of being gay, he kept it a secret and only told a handful of people he trusted. His family and friends that knew had only been supportive, maybe it was time for him to take a risk and lay it all out there. If not for him than maybe for Harry Styles, he remembered him as being so brave, so himself and not afraid to be out and proud despite what people said to his face. Louis thought about that curly haired boy and made the decision, he was going to that reunion and he was going to tell all his old friends what kind of people they were. He just hoped he was strong enough to tell them who he is and always had been.


End file.
